A collection of Mericcup

In debt [One Shot]

Setting: Modern AU, Adult Merida, Adult Hiccup

He sat at his desk. The night joined him many hours ago. His eyes gaze at the many bills in front of him. How should he pay them? Them all? The only light coming from an old desk lamp he owned for decades and a gab between the half opened door and the door frame. A cup of coffee, his sixth, resting on an unimportant piece of paper, drawing wide coffee-circles on it.

He was sure his wife was already in bed. His son was already in bed. His daughter was already in bed. Only he was awake. The coffee helped him. No, it rather forced him. But that's what he thought he needed. “This is not healthy.”, he muttered, rubbing his eyes.

The high numbers started to stack in his head. All those bills. He didn't quite know where they came from and what they were good for. “Just go to bed.”, he whispered to himself, staring at the papers. A loud creak allowed more light to enter the room from behind him. It came from the hallway. He took a deep breath as his wife, Merida, leaned against the door frame.

“How's it going, dear?”, she asked kind and sleepy. She already knew the answer. “Not well.”, Hiccup replied and she sighed. “We're in debt.”, she mentioned and he rubbed his temples. “I know. But I'll fix this, I promise, Merida.”, he replied but he didn't even believe in the words he just spoke at this moment. “I'll figure something out. I always do.”, he added and Merida took a deep breath. He started to think of options.

“I'll just take another job. I could ask my parents if they-” “I'm leaving you, Hiccup.”, Merida uttered silently. It was loud enough though. Loud enough for Hiccup to hear and to stop his speech. Shock formed his face.

“You... what?”, he asked confused, turning around in his chair to face his wife's figure in the door frame. Those blue eyes Hiccup fell in love with many many years ago were now hidden behind her red hair and fixed on the ground.

As soon as the chair stopped rotating Hiccup froze in his stance, looking at the woman who was just about to leave him. “I don't... understand.”, he croaked out with force. It felt like his throat was tied in a rope. Every word wandering through it felt like someone tugging on that rope. Every breath felt like a sharp razor blade cutting through his lungs.

“What... are you... talking about?”, he asked and Merida turned further away, covering her mouth and nose to catch the tears. “Merida please!”, he begged and she winced. “I just can't do this anymore, Hiccup.”, she stuttered, “We are in debt. I can't find a job. Your son gets picked on in school because we can't afford the things every other parent can for their 11-year old. We don't even have the assurance that our daughter will go to kindergarten!”

Every word hit him like a bullet. It's been hard but never this hard for Hiccup. She's always been his safety. She has been his bulletproof vest when things got hard. Like, when he lost his job. She was there for him. When his father died. She was there for him. But how hard does it have to be, being shot by the person behind your bulletproof vest?

He wanted to say something but he could barely comprehend what just happened. “I'll be leaving at sunrise.”, Merida told him, still not looking her husband in the eye. “What about the kids?”, Hiccup asked and only then he realized that he's been crying for a while now. “I'll take them with me.”, she muttered, running her sleeve below her nose.

“No.”, Hiccup whispered. “Hiccup, it's the best if we-” “No!”, he yelled out of the sudden. As if his frozen stance was abruptly thawed. And so was his wife. She finally lifted her head and managed to look into his eyes.

She saw the hurt. She saw the pain. She knew what pressure and dread flowed through his veins. That's why she didn't want to look into his eyes when telling him. “You can't leave me.”, he breathed and she started to sob harder. “I won't make it without you or Davis or Henrietta. I need them. And they also need me.”, he cried out and Merida just slid down the door frame, breaking down crying in front of him. “Do you think this was an easy decision?”, she yelled desperate.

Before anyone of them could speak another word two sleepy little souls walked past the corner. “Mommy? Daddy? What is happening?”, the little boy, Hiccup held in his arms the first time 11 years ago, Davis, asked. He was rubbing his eyes with one hand whilst the other held onto his sister's tightly.

Merida ran her hands over her face to fade away every tear before turning around to her children. Hiccup just sat there and watched “I'm sorry.”, his daughter said and Merida shook her head. “There is nothing you need to apologize for, Henrietta. Just go back to sleep you two.”, she said, trying to hold back her tears.

The kids hesitated. “Did something bad happened? Is it our fault?”, Davis asked and Merida bit her lip, shaking her head. “It's just hard times.”, Hiccup uttered, breaking his frozen state. His daughter raised her arms up into the air when he got closer to the door frame. He picked her up but sat down next to Merida. “Is Mama hurt?”, Henrietta asked worried and Hiccup kissed her forehead.

How could he possible explain the situation to his almost 4 year old daughter? Simple as it was, he couldn't. “Mommy's just a bit tired and stressed.”, Merida answered, caressing her daughter's sleepy face. “Let's get you two back into bed.”, Hiccup whispered as his daughter was about to fall asleep in his arms.

He got up and took Merida's hand, helping her back to her feet again. He held his son's hand while walking him and his little sister Henrietta back into their room. Davis got into bed and Hiccup tucked his little sleeping angle in, kissing her forehead before sneaking to his son. Merida was watching from the hallway.

“Daddy?”, Davis asked as his father pulled the warm blanked over him. “I know you have always kept your promises.” Hiccup smiled, “Yes, I have.” “Can you promise me one more thing?”, the little boy asked, fighting to stay awake. “Everything.”, Hiccup whispered, kneeling next to his son's bed. “Promise me we'll always be a family?”, he whispered and Hiccup nodded. "I'll do my best to keep that promise.”

His son fell asleep with a smile and his wife awaited him in the hallway. Tears, dancing over her round cheeks. A smile, healing all past wounds. Eyes, making everyone get lost for a moment. “I'm sorry.”, she whispered as he closed the door.

“I love you. You know that. When I married you I promised to stay by your side until death parts us. Hard times. Good times. Whatever. And I'll promise it again today. And I hope so do you.”, Hiccup uttered in a low voice to not wake up the kids again. “I do.”, Merida whispered and the night ended with a kiss.

Months passed and it seemed like there was no end in this black tunnel of sharp paper bills but the couple stayed strong. Some would say it was a miracle that they reached the end of the tunnel. Hiccup got a better job with higher payment and a really nice boss. Davis made new friends and became best in class for the first of many other times. Merida was able to find a job not far away from Davis' school. And Henrietta was able to visit the kindergarten a child could only dream of. Thus, you could say, there was a

Happy End.